VELVET
by Kanryu
Summary: Everyone deserves a happy ending, and she believes he deserves it just as much as everyone else. Whether or not she has a happy ending doesn't matter just as long as he has his. Sequel to GENTLE LIE. Hiatus until 2013.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I'm alive and kicking! I have promised you that the sequel to **Gentle Lie** would be out in December, right? Well...it's here! This sequel has a whole new storyline, and no, this won't just be a one-shot or two-shot. And to make the ones unsatisfied with the lack of sex in Gentle Lie, this story will definitely satiate you guys. (: There will be lots more lemons in this story than the prequel! (Oh goshhh, more embarrassing lemons to write, but gladly!)

If you guys could **drop 10-15 reviews**, it'd be great, and I'll have the next chapter out by Christmas! Isn't that great? ^^ If not...guess no updates till...umm...possibly February. I'm a busybody, as are the rest of you guys. (:

**BTW**. **This story is called VELVET for a reason, just like Gentle Lie**. I thought that since the prequel already has a song title as its name, then why not continue with that for the sequel? The name of the song is well, **VELVET by alice nine**.

Disclaimer #1: Oh disclaimers, disclaimers, how I have not missed you so. Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto!...and what the hell is going on? Why're you making it so that Team 7 won't be reunited?! *fumes*

Disclaimer #2: I do not own the song VELVET by alice nine., but I do own the plot for this story! Check them out!

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**Chapter 1 - VELVET  
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Naruto stood in the entranceway of Sasuke and Sakura's house as he debated whether or not to leave. For once, he felt like he was invading the couple's privacy in their own house, and most of all – their bedroom. Harsh pants from upstairs interrupted his train of thought, and Naruto would have high-tailed it out of there if there wasn't something that he _had_ to ask of the two.

He left his sandals on the carpet by the door and walked towards the stairway, dismayed to find clothes littered all over the steps and railings.

'_Maybe I ought to come back later, dattebayo…'_

Sweatpants, shirts, t-shirts, tank tops, and sweaters made the staircase a treacherous place to navigate through. The noises increased in volume as Naruto neared the top of the stairs. Putting his hand on the doorknob to the room Sasuke and Sakura shared, he took a deep breath and threw it open.

"Sakura-chan, teme, can you two ple–" Naruto stopped midway through his sentence at the scene before him.

"Oh – hey, Naruto." Sakura huffed.

"Who the – hell let you – in?" Sasuke glared at him.

"I let myself in, because I heard…some noise up here and I thought you two were…busy, that's all." He sheepishly replied as he scratched his head.

"No, we weren't having – fun with each other, if that's what you mean." Sakura smiled at him as she tried to regain her breath.

"Hn." _'Too bad we weren't.'_

"Don't tell me that, Sakura-chan! You'll always be pure and innocent, dattebayo!" Naruto pouted.

"I wasn't innocent a _loonggg_ time ago." Sakura chuckled. "Same with you and Hinata."

"Well…we don't do it that often. I mean, maybe only several times a–"

"Dobe. We don't care to know how many times you and your girlfriend do it every week and day." Sasuke cut in before embarrassing and horrifying information could be leaked.

"But Sakura-chan said–!"

"Naruto, what brings you here today of all days?" She quickly said.

"Well…seeing how the two of you have been busy for a while and we haven't really seen each other recently, I was wondering if you guys were still alive, dattebayo!"

"Contradictory. Busy and wondering if we were still alive." Sasuke humored.

"Shut up teme!"

"Then don't make mistakes."

"Okay, okay. Break it up you two." Sakura sighed. "Back on topic, what were you planning?"

"I think we should head out for ramen tomorrow!!!" Naruto eagerly yelled.

Sasuke fisted his hand and would've thrown it at his best friend if not for Sakura holding onto his wrist. She shot him a look that signalled for him to keep himself under control.

""Why don't we spar in the morning first and then have ramen after? We'll see who is more physically fit tomorrow. Just Team 7." Sakura suggested. Better than just watching Naruto eat 20 bowls of ramen dry without eating their own ramen enthusiastically.

"That's a great idea, Sakura-chan!!! We'll go with that then! Uhh…just out of curiosity, what were the two of you doing when I walked in? And why are there clothes everywhere on your staircase?"

"Ahh, so that's what he was really curious about." Sakura smirked.

"Hn." Sasuke smiled a tiny bit, but it was barely visible. Everything was hardly visible for himself.

"We decided to get a new bed, but it was a disaster lugging it all the way here and placing it to our liking. The bed is quite heavy even for Sasuke and I."

"What happened to your old one?"

"It's been…what, twenty years since the last bed's been bought? It's not safe to sleep in a bed that has a possibility of cracking every ten seconds." She continued.

"What about–"

"The clothes on the staircase are for wash. The hamper was knocked over by one of the legs of the bed when we brought it up." Sasuke sighed.

"Normally, the clothes would be strewn all over the bedroom instead of out here." Sakura teased.

"And the house would be unusually loud." Sasuke threw that in for a double whammy on Naruto's mind.

"STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN YOUR BEDROOM!!!" Naruto ran out of their bedroom and jumped down the flight of stairs and hurriedly tried to put on his sandals.

"We'll meet you at the bridge tomorrow at 8 o'clock then." She smiled at the foolish actions of her friend.

"Whatever, dattebayo! Just…get your business done before you come."

"It's the same with you." Sasuke smirked.

"You two are teasing me! It's not fair when it's two against one!" He then threw the door open and slammed it shut as he left.

"Took you long enough to find out." Sasuke murmured into Sakura's ear.

"Hey, that tickles, Sasuke!" She lightly laughed. "Think he's gone?"

"Hn. Doesn't matter either way. He can learn from me if he hears you."

Sakura punched him lightly on the arm and proceeded to pick the clothes up from the floor. "I'd like for you to keep your tricks of the trade to yourself, Uchiha-san."

"There's more than where those came from." Sasuke pushed Sakura to a wall and placed chaste kisses that travelled from her neck to her jaw. The already picked-up clothes dropped from her hands.

"We need to clean, Sasuke." Sakura tried not to be side-tracked by the soft kisses.

In one swift movement, Sasuke scooped Sakura's legs from under her and lifted her up in his arms. Kicking the bathroom door open and entering, he nudged it closed with his shoulder. He put her down in the shower and pressed her to the cold and icy tiled-wall as he trapped her there with two arms beside her head.

"We can get clean here." He whispered, his breath ghosting over her skin.

He leaned down slightly and kissed her softly as his hand slyly crept up her shirt. She quietly moaned as his fingers lightly caressed her toned stomach and proceeded to unhook her strapless bra. Good thing he managed to convince her to wear bras at home. Made things a lot easier. Her hands were fumbling to untie the drawstring on his sweatpants, but Sasuke gently swept her hands aside and held her wrists with one hand above her head. This was going a bit too slow for his liking.

His patience cut short, he threw the bra somewhere into the spacious bathroom and ripped her shirt off of her; a small squeak of protest burst from Sakura's lips as she tried to pull herself away from him.

"Sasuke! What're you doing?! That's my favourite shirt from yo–"

He smoldered her words with a bruising kiss as his other hand kneaded one of her fleshy mounds. Her legs intuitively wrapped themselves around his waist as she arched into him from pleasure. God, was it ever this hot when they cleaned before? Sakura groaned as she roughly yanked at Sasuke's shirt; it was very irritating that she was the only one topless whereas he was still fully clothed.

Smirking, Sasuke pulled back from the kiss, much to Sakura's dismay. Her cheeks were already pink and her eyes had started clouding with lust. Her bare chest rapidly rose and fell as she took in deep breaths to account for the loss of air during their previous less-than-aggressive actions. Such nice and more than modest curves she has. His hands on the hem of his dark-blue t-shirt, Sasuke pulled it off swiftly for Sakura's lustful green orbs.

"Like what you see?" Sasuke huskily blew into her ear.

She responded by reaching around him to turn on the knob for the hot water. Hot water rushed out of the shower nozzle, drenching the two and making their remaining clothes cling to them.

"You know…if we talk too muchhhh, there won't be any hot water left by the end." Sakura sultrily whispered as she teasingly trailed her index finger over Sasuke's slick abs.

He smirked. Only she would be the only half-naked woman around who would still be able to compose herself in front of a man.

The next thing she knew, she was shoved onto the wall as he swiftly disposed of her shorts and panties in one fluid movement. Two fingers suddenly entered her, making her gasp in pleasure. Her hands flew to his shoulders and gripped them as she willed herself not to lose control before he had even truly began. In this position, her breasts were levelled with his eyes and he took one of her soft mounds in his mouth, biting, nipping, and licking it. Savouring the sweet taste of her flesh. His hand kneaded her other neglected breast. Not once did his fingers lose their rhythm. The unbearable heat in her lower abdomen was building so very fast. Her juices were already trickling out.

She gave a throaty moan, but could not arch upwards at the pleasure Sasuke was making her feel for their bodies were pressed too closely together; it was difficult to breathe, let alone move. The hot water that poured on them only increased the lust and decreased the time it would take for Sakura to reach her state of ecstasy. His mouth left her now red and bruise-covered chest only to return to her lips; Sasuke kissed her forcefully, her head hitting the tiles rather hard.

She moaned deeply into the kiss as he his fingers penetrated her even deeper. Adjusting his hand, his thumb rubbed her clitoris in time with his fingers pumping in and out of her.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" She whined as she tore her lips away from his. She was so close.

He slowed to a painstakingly deliberate pace, making her wiggle her hips around his fingers in frustration.

"Say it, Sa-ku-ra." He devilishly teased.

Clumsily holding Sasuke's head in her hands, Sakura looked straight into his clear onyx-black orbs with her hazy green ones.

"Fuck me hard, Sasuke."

In the midst of Sakura's pleasure, he had managed to kick off his sweatpants, leaving him absolutely exposed. Retracting his fingers from her dripping core, he looked her directly in the eye and licked his fingers one by one, sucking them dry of her sweet juices. If possible, she was getting even wetter by the second by the erotic scene in front of her. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, the head of his hardened length just slightly entering her slippery core.

Sasuke leaned his torso forward and pressed her to the wall. Simultaneously, he rammed himself into her full to the hilt. Raw screams erupted from her bruised lips and echoed loudly in the bathroom; anyone within the house or even in the Uchiha Compounds would be able to hear her.

Damn it. Her muscles immediately squeezed him as he entered. She's long since lost her virginity, but yet, every time, she would be tighter than ever before. Her velvety insides just sucked him in; losing himself in the sheer pleasure of her sex milking him. The hot water had indeed turned cold as Sakura had predicted, but it was barely noticeable with her heat surrounding him. He pounded relentlessly into her as more cries of pleasure ripped from her plump lips, her cheeks rosy red.

"…Sasuke…kun…"

Oh God. It was so hard to form words. She was full to the brim. Every stroke felt like she was about to set on fire. Her pink hair plastered to her warm wet skin as Sasuke continued to rock into her deliciously. The moment he left her, she would feel empty, but he would thrust into her with more force than the last's. _It just wasn't enough_. Timing the thrusts, she impaled herself on him as he entered. The ring of muscles tightened its grip on his member, and Sakura felt it twitch as she repeated this action several times until she couldn't bear it anymore.

Her voice hoarse as she screamed his name, she coated his length in her sticky clear fluid. She hung limp and panted in his arms as he continued to pound into her, still intent on finding his own release. Rearranging Sakura's position in his arms, he hit a different spot in her. She immediately straightened up at the stimulus the special bundle of nerves inside her had just experienced; a lengthy moan was suppressed by Sasuke's shoulder. Just as soon as her orgasm wracked through her, another one was on the way. She didn't know where one would stop and another would begin.

Sasuke dragged his tongue along Sakura's collarbone and up until he found her pulse. He gently sucked on it as she gasped at the sensations her body was overcome with. Her hands flew to his hair, fingers scraping sensually across his scalp, making him groan and hammer into her even harder, hitting her bundle of nerves every time. With every stroke, she would clamp down on him even tighter than the last's; the friction created was going to drive him over the edge. He could sense she was too with the way she quivered around him.

Sakura hooked her legs together behind his back and bucked down on him as he thrust up. Her moans were swallowed by Sasuke's feverish kisses as the cold water continued to spray on them; a relaxing and cooling agent to their passionate love-making. Thank goodness there was a separate water reservoir for the Uchiha Compounds than the rest of the city. They'd be complaining.

With one particular thrust, she bit down on his lip as she came, her muscles clutching down on his manhood. Sasuke poured into her as his orgasmic high made him temporarily blind for a second. It was amazing how he managed to hold her up against the wall as he momentarily lost control of himself. Recovering from his high but still breathing deeply, he looked Sakura up and down.

Creamy white skin peppered with his marks, whereas her cheeks were red from their intense workout. Her chest rapidly rose and fell as she tried to regain her composure. Brilliant green orbs peeked out from behind half-opened lids while her swollen lips smiled at him. Between their adjoined bodies, their slick bodily fluids continued to drip globs onto the wet bottom of the bathtub. Easing himself out of her, he looked there, her hole stretched and enlarged from their aggressive activities. Clear and sticky white liquids slowly leaked out of her and travelled downwards, staining her thighs.

Reaching up with his hand, Sasuke scooped the fluids from her thighs and licked it off his hand. Sweet and tangy. Sakura made a small noise at the scene and put one foot to the cold surface of the tub and Sasuke obligingly released her other leg from his grasp. She blushed prettily as she turned away, unable to face such an erotic sight.

"Sakura. Look at me." He quietly ordered.

How could she resist to his voice? It was just like velvet sheets, enveloping her in soft and silky-smooth wrappings.

She looked at him, her lips slightly parted, her eyes lightly sparkling at the man she loved. He leaned down and kissed her, their combined taste still persisting in his mouth. Gently sweeping his tongue across hers and retracting it moments later, he gave her the sweetest kiss she had ever experienced with him thus far. Or maybe it was a different kiss every time. Who knows? Pulling back, Sasuke gave her one last kiss on her forehead before he turned the knob from warm water to hot water; hot water gushed out of the showerhead and soaked them both.

Sakura leaned back onto Sasuke as he squirted shampoo onto his hands, and sighed as he tenderly massaged her pink tresses.

'_If only this would go on forever.'_ She contently thought.

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So how'd you think of the intro so far? Like it? Hate it? 10 - 15 reviews everyone or no updates! ): You don't want that now, do you? ):

- _Kanryu_ out 06/12/09 12:58am


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! School has officially started again ): I'm...already swamped with work, which I am sure you guys are as well. This chapter might seem uninteresting to a few of you, but it is a hugeeeeeeeeeeeeee plot mover, so please take your time to read and review. (:

No updates till ~30 reviews. Sorry. ):

Disclaimer: Nope. OMG D: No WSJ last week! The horror!  


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**Chapter 2**

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"Hey, Naruto! Over here!!!" Sakura cheerfully yelled as she waved her arm over her head.

Sasuke waited patiently on the bridge as he looked at his fading reflection in the water as a gentle breeze blew through his silky and uneven locks. It was only a matter of time.

"Ohayouuuuuuuuuuuu, Sakura-chan! Sorry I'm late, I had something to do, dattebayo!" Naruto apologized.

"Don't we all? The rebuilding of Konoha's still going on. It'll probably be a few more months until it returns to how it was back then."

"And a few more months till Kakashi-sensei comes home…" Naruto mumbled to himself, but the others caught it.

"Hn." Sasuke walked ahead of Naruto and Sakura with his eyes closed.

"Oi, teme! Wait up!" Naruto started.

Sakura put a hand on his arm to stop him. He looked at her, somewhat surprised at her actions. Wasn't everything okay already? It has by now been eight months. So complicated.

"It's fine, Naruto. Sasuke doesn't like it when Kakashi-sensei's mentioned."

"So you call him by that again?"

"Yeah. There's…no reason to just call him Kakashi anymore. We're just pupil and student, or…ex, I guess." She lightly laughed.

Sasuke didn't like the mention of Kakashi, because he felt somewhat unsure of himself. What if Sakura returns to him later on once he comes back to Konoha? And how will he get rid of the guilt that he had ruined their perfectly fine relationship? If it weren't for him, then nothing would have happened. If it weren't for his selfishness, then he would've died alongside Itachi back at the plateaus. Then he wouldn't have to go through all these conflicting emotions and weird vision problems. He hadn't told Sakura yet, in case she freaks out over nothing. It's most likely from lack of rest.

"Sasuke-kun! Wait up!" Sakura ran up to him, laughing, and jumped onto his back, his arms instinctively reaching back to support her. "We can't use up all our energy now when we're about to spar!"

"Hn." A smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. He was willing to lose everything but this woman. Just being able to see her laugh with her, see her, hear her, and feel her, are his life's happiest memories thus far.

"You're not mad, are you?" Sakura mumbled into his ear.

"No."

"I…love you, Sasuke." Sakura's face reddened as she whispered it into his ear.

Sasuke gently swung her from his back to his arms and kissed her on the forehead before he placed her back onto the ground.

"Love you too."

"Can you two stop touching each other for just five minutes?!" Naruto yelled.

"Someone seems jealous." Sasuke smirked.

"Stop showing so much PDA!"

"Where's our freedom, hm, Naruto?" Sakura joined in.

"You know what! I'm going to bring Hinata-chan right now!"

"What about your ramen party?" Sasuke humoured. "By the time you come back, we'll be gone."

"Cancelled! Whatever, dattebayo! Just come on this date then!" Naruto pouted as he threw an envelope to Sasuke.

It nearly slipped his fingers but he managed to grasp it in time.

"Sasuke…?" Sakura wondered aloud.

"It's nothing. I'm a bit tired. What's this for, dobe?"

"Hinata and I…are getting married, dattebayo!" Naruto sheepishly said as he scratched his head.

Sakura opened her mouth in shock then ran up to Naruto and gave him a huge hug. "Congratulations, Naruto! How'd you ask her?!"

"Her parents figured out we were having sex, so they asked whether I was serious about her or not."

"…Did they walk in on you?"

"No, they just…sat outside while we got our business done. Then they spoke to us through the paper doors."

"Baka." Sakura sighed. This was so Naruto.

"When is it, dobe?" Sasuke waved the envelope around, it unopened.

"Why don't you read it, teme?"

"I don't want to open it, because you licked this envelope closed."

"Whatever! I'll open it." Sakura groaned and grabbed it from Sasuke's hands. "You guys are just like a bunch of kids…"

It wasn't that he didn't want to read it, he was afraid that he would read things wrong.

"It's this Saturday!" She exclaimed.

"Why such the late notice, dobe?" Sasuke fumed.

"Eto…Hinata-chan's…pregnant."

"Nani?! I thought you guys used protection or at least some chakra jutsu!" Sakura cut in.

"They obviously didn't think that far ahead."

"It's not my fault! We got carried away!"

"Yeah, you guys got carried away with having sex about 4 times a day and 30 times a week." She sarcastically remarked.

"Hey! How'd you know that's how many times we do it!? Have you been stalking us, Sakura-chan?!"

"Stop, dobe. Stop."

"It's the talk of the town, Naruto. Everyone can hear the two of you."

"Nani?! Then maybe we should've done it in the basement instead…" He trailed off.

"That's not the point, Naruto. Instead of being out here, perhaps you should be at Hinata's house getting ready for your wedding. Ever thought of that?" Sakura sighed.

"But…Sasuke needs to be my best man!"

"Your best man, dobe?"

"Well…of course, dattebayo! And Sakura-chan's going to be Hinata's Maid of Honour!" Naruto brightly said.

Sakura turned away from him and pulled Sasuke with her. "He never even bothered to ask us before he gave us those positions!"

"Can we say no?" Sasuke smirked.

"That's not what I meant! But…to get everything ready within 5 days is just…"

"I'll see you guys there, dattebayo! Make sure you get there three hours before the wedding!" Then he was gone.

"…"

"…"

"Invitation says traditional formal wear."

"Hn."

"Time to go shopping."

"The compounds have more than enough for this wedding."

"If you say so."

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- _Sunagakure_ -

"You are going to Naruto's wedding, no?" Gaara stoically asked.

"Why not? It is the wedding of my ex-pupil." Kakashi lazily answered.

"Then you will escort me with Temari and Kankuro. We leave in half an hour."

"That's not a lot of time, is it, Kazekage?"

"It will take us three days to get there, which means two days for preparations. So, no."

"It seems so much like him, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does." Gaara slightly smiled.

"It's time you get married too, Gaara." Kakashi sighed.

"I can't take away Sasuke's woman, Kakashi. I won't ruin their happiness."

"How do you know they'll be happier together than apart?"

"I saw the sparkle in her eyes and the changes in Sasuke when I visited Konoha." Gaara said as he looked out the window and onto the barren landscape.

"She's going to have an unwanted harem at this rate." He chuckled. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready."

"We'll meet at the front then."

Kakashi left the room and closed the door with a swing of his arms. Everything was so troublesome for him right now. Just like a situation where Shikamaru would run from. He wished he could. Arriving at Suna was Kakashi's request, not a mission from the Kazekage. However, Kakashi was still getting paid to be a lookout for the citizens of Suna and he would be deployed to dispose of any spies or trespassing ninjas. He was paid too much for such a tiny job.

Acting as a citizen and a humble post office delivery man, Kakashi found this life just too relaxing to his liking. There was no thrill; the ninjas he had to dispose of were minor. They weren't even worth the fight. Of course he didn't kill them; he just merely knocked them out and threw them out over the border.

Last but not least, he was also somewhat sexually frustrated. The erotic dreams he had when he first arrived dissipated after half a year. Occasionally though, he would find himself thinking if he should just go to a brothel of some sorts to ease out his annoyances. But then it would be horrible for something like that to happen. And what could he say to Sakura when they meet again? That he's been sexing up random women at Suna during his mission? Inappropriate shinobi behaviour. And…it still hurts to think about her.

But it was his own damn fault. He was the one who initiated it and he was the one who went through with it. No one could be blamed for his mistake but himself.

As he exited the Kazekage building, Kakashi turned towards the direction of his apartment block and passed various small shops, all of them bustling with their families. A sandstorm had just passed the Country of Wind and another one would not be here for a few days. So says Gaara's experience. He ran a hand through his uneven silver-grey locks and sighed.

He had left his mask along with his shinobi clothes in the apartment he stayed at. For now, he only sported sweatpants, his usual sandals, and a black t-shirt. To cover his Sharingan, he used chakra-filled contacts. Perfectly comfortable. The only problem with his getup was that all the women young and old flocked to him like birds to their seeds. At least none of them had grabbed his ass just yet. But all of them have been asking him of many…unnecessary favours. Such things like feeding her dog because she is out grocery shopping. Ever heard of coming back early?

Speak of the devil, one of the younger ones is standing outside his apartment door today. She was quite pretty, around Sakura's age but perhaps a bit older by a year or two. In her hands was a small basket, possibly consisting of food and other things. He had been almost drugged before. Thank God Sakura had taught him how to degrade drugs in his blood quick enough.

"Do you need something…?" Kakashi politely asked. The sooner he got this over with, the better.

"I've noticed that you always go out to eat every day and it isn't very healthy, so I prepared a meal for you is all." She quietly said as she looked at him.

"Is that all? You needn't have waited for me out here. I have some business to attend to."

"I wasn't sure what time you were going to be back by and I wanted to catch you before you left…" She trailed off.

"How old are you, Mika?" Kakashi randomly but kindly asked; he hoped he remembered her name correctly.

"I-I'm 22…w-why?" Mika stammered. A flush started on her light complexion.

Just as he thought. A year older than Sakura, the same age as Sasuke. How coincidental. Why is it that he manages to unwillingly attract women all around _her_ age? This is becoming more troublesome than he had thought.

"I'm 35." He softly stated.

"And…?" She boldly replied.

"I'm too old for you. Thank you for the meal, but I don't think it's up to my tastes." Kakashi took the key out from his pocket and inserted it into the lock, ready to open his door to step into his haven.

"But, it can still work, can it not, Hatake-kun?" Mika persisted. "I know of lovers many years apart…"

He turned around to look at her; her brown eyes big with shock and surprise. "It won't happen." Kakashi clearly stated.

"Why not…?"

"I love another woman who is younger than you." Then he went in his apartment slot and closed the door, leaving Mika with the meal tight in her slim hands.

-

Kakashi left his apartment in his shinobi attire, complete with the mask, Konoha headband and his pack. To avoid any unneeded drama, he had used a Teleportation Jutsu to arrive at the front gate like Gaara had said so earlier. He was only late by five minutes.

"I'd assume something had happened at your area, Kakashi?" Gaara emotionlessly asked.

"Got confessed to for the 517th time."

"At this rate, you're going to steal all the women of the village. The population for Suna will soon decline. Do something about it."

"I did. I asked her how old she was and I told her my age. Said something about lovers being many years apart can still work."

"It'll work if the two of you want it enough."

"You know how it is, Gaara."

"Then so be it. We've spent time idly chatting here."

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- _3 days later [Konohagakure] _ -

"Hey, Sasuke." Sakura childishly asked. "Which colour do you think looks better on me?"

Mentioned man turned around to look at her, his eyes squinting at the two kimonos she held up with her two hands. The two garments were dark blue and black-grey. The dark blue outfit was held together by a white obi whereas the black-grey kimono was held together by a crimson red obi. Both looked good on her to say the least.

"Do they both look that bad? What's with the creased forehead, hm?" She laughed.

"Seeing as how I'd like for you to wear the dark blue one on our future wedding…the grey one will suffice." He smirked.

"Who says I'm getting married to you?" Sakura turned her back to him.

"Me."

"But– –"

"It's only a matter of time."

"Well…I hope it won't be as messy as Naruto's then."

"Hn…" Sasuke smiled as he hugged her from behind and placed his head on her shoulder, making her drop the two kimonos onto the bed.

"Hey, that tickles!" She laughed.

"There is something I've been wondering for a long time now."

"What is it?"

"You're not pregnant after so long?" He quietly asked. He hoped nothing was going wrong.

"No, nothing's wrong, if that's what you're worried about." Sakura softly answered. "I just want you to myself for a little longer. Besides, Sasuke, I'm only 21."

"Hn." He smiled into her hair; it was just so like her. "What do you do after every time then?"

"I rather keep that to myself. If you're really interested, you can go through the medical volumes downstairs in the basement. They're all waiting to be _touched_ again." She said seductively and gently unwrapped his arms from around her and then proceeded to grab the kimonos off the bed. Exiting the room, she gave a small wave to him with a flick of her wrist.

A sharp pain shot through his head just as soon as she left the room. His knees collapsed and one arm threw itself out to catch himself while the other went to hold his throbbing head. Forehead creased as a tight frown marred his flawless features, beads of sweat formed on his face. He slowly drew his hand away from his eyes and opened them; red liquid dripped from his hand and onto the mahogany-coloured floorboards. He sat down beside the wardrobe and swiped his free hand across his eyes, concerned about the blood. No matter how hard he swiped, he couldn't get a clear view anymore.

Sakura ran up the stairs as she heard a thump and no response from the storage room. "Sasuke?" She asked uncertainly as she reached the top of the stairs.

When she reached the room, she found it empty, aside from a splotch of blood on the usually spotless floorboards. Alarmed, she whirled around only to crash right into Sasuke's chest. Heart pounding, she looked up anxiously at his face, the first time being bothered by his long and dark bangs.

"It's nothing to worry about." He calmly said. "I just accidentally got a cut from hitting the side of that thing when I lifted a box up. See?"

A gash the size of her middle finger sported itself on his left forearm. Blood leaked from it and stained his pale skin. In his other hand was a white towel already half soaked with blood.

Sakura sighed. "I guess nothing can surprise me now after what we've been through. Considering this is minor compared to our other injuries from before. Why didn't you respond when I called you earlier?"

"Hn."

Focusing her chakra into her hand, she mended the skin within seconds and gave it a light kiss.

"Uchiha Sasuke all ready and active for duty!" Sakura said playfully.

He didn't look amused with her antics, or rather, he had his emotionless mask on once more.

"Is…something the matter, Sasuke?" She whispered.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just a bit tired. I think I'll go to sleep now." He responded.

"Oh…okay."

She didn't even have the heart to make a joke if he was too tired from last night. The look on his face just worried her more than consoled her.

"Don't worry about it. It was rather fun watching you talk in your sleep last night than sleeping. Never knew you had such…_innocent_ dreams, Sa-ku-ra." He smirked.

Looking at her, Sasuke could only make out the tinge of pink on her usual porcelain white complexion. Satisfied with his tease, he left the room and carefully proceeded towards their bedroom. Maybe the cause of this was lack of sleep. Even though it was early to head to bed, he wasn't completely lying when he said he was tired.

"I hope nothing crawls up your pants when you sleep tonight, Uchiha." Sakura muttered in the hallway before she entered their room to join him.

"Hn. I'll take it as an invitation then." Sasuke smiled.

"Whatever, I'm thankful we're finally sleeping for once. I'm tired too from all this lifting and such." She grumbled.

Placing a kiss on her forehead, he pulled her into her arms as she pulled the coverlet over them.

"Goodnight, Sasuke."  


* * *

So how'd you guys think of it? Give me feedback pleaseeeee? Love you guys. ^^ **No updates till 30 reviews**, because I'm a busy person too!

- _Kanryu_ out 06/01/10 5:08pm


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Merry Christmas everyone! I am honestly sorry for not having updated this story for almost a year. Life's been busy, and I am actually...still busy. I am going to be at work, yes, on Christmas Day, in less than 6 hours. But I am still updating, because I feel absolutely horrible for not updating this at all. I haven't written any extra chapters for this story, so it is taking awhile for me to type the chapters out. Sorry for this delay and the quality of this chapter. It's really just to get Naruto's wedding out of the way and...well, the ending explains why this chapter is here.

**VELVET, Just One Night, **and** With Just One Touch** will be **on HIATUS**. **I'm trying extremely hard to finish A Pretty Still Doll, but with the university schedule I have, it's almost impossible to write anything at all, and I feel terrible to keep you guys hanging on when a new chapter is coming out for any of my stories that I'm not really concentrated on.** So, I will just straight out tell you that the three stories mentioned above aside from the fourth one will not be written for a little while...as in about the summer of 2011. If you haven't read A Pretty Still Doll...then, please do so if you have the time. :)

Please leave a review and hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Disclaimer: Not owning anything except for the plot of this story.

* * *

**Chapter 3**** - _VELVET_**

**

* * *

**

The cool night breeze brushed gently through both silver-grey and red hair. They stood atop the entrance gate to Konoha and merely stayed there for minutes; only the scattering of the leaves signalled the traces of their leave.

No lights were lit in Konoha except for the main building of Leaf. They nimbly jumped from roof to roof, their silent footfalls never once faltering. The entirety of Konoha was just like how it was months prior to the invasion by Pain. Shadows casted by the moon made it easier for them to travel unnoticed through the night.

Gaara and Kakashi landed on the Hokage building and waited there, the presence of their chakra clearly detectable by the person below. Seconds passed by before a strong but feminine voice barked out a grant for their admittance.

"––of all the times to come back, you had to choose the middle of the night." Tsunade started even before they appeared.

So much for a heart warming welcome back.

"Good to see you, too, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi calmly said.

"You're leaner than ever, Kakashi. Gaara, I've heard of your many accomplishments as Kazekage, and I am very impressed. For someone as young as you, you know what you are doing."

"Thank you, Godaime." Gaara stoically replied. He withdrew a scroll and a stack of bills from the depths of his robe and handed them to her. "This is a list of all the missions Kakashi has finished within the past 8 months that he has stayed in Suna for and the money for Konoha for his service."

"Thank you, Gaara, but this amount is not needed. Konoha is doing quite well, so I will not accept the funds. Keep it." She pushed the bills back to him.

"I have no use for it."

"I will not take it."

"Then give it to the shinobi and kunoichi of this village." He suggested.

"Here, Kakashi. For your hard work." Tsunade threw the stack at Kakashi and he caught it effortlessly.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I'll use it to treat my old pupils." He nonchalantly said.

"Hmph. What do you two think about it?"

"Just like him." Gaara emotionlessly answered.

"Can't say it better myself." Kakashi chuckled.

Tsunade only smirked. "Interesting. Now, scat, the both of you. I have lots of work to do."

"Residence?" The Jounin asked.

She threw a set of keys at him and pointed in a certain direction.

* * *

**- Konohagakure -**

- _The Wedding_ -

"Sasuke-kun!" She sung out. "We have to go or else we'll be late!"

"Hn. The dobe can wait."

"Would you like him to be late for our wedding, then?"

"…"

"Point taken? I think so. How do I look?" She twirled around in a circle in front of Sasuke and faced him.

Sakura sported a gray-black kimono with a red obi. Her hair was smartly twisted up into a knot and decorated needles secured the mass of hair.

"Hn. Average."

"Average? Is that wh–"

Sasuke cut her off with a quick but deep kiss. Colour rose to her cheeks.

"Beautiful now." He smiled and pulled her into his arms.

"You're despicable." She whispered and playfully punched his chest. Her arms went around his middle.

"Hn."

They stayed in their embrace and said nothing to one another; the silence just equally as comforting as their own words.

"You look really good, Sasuke-kun." She confessed softly, her head nestled just to the right of his chest.

He absentmindedly fingered the embroidery on her obi. "I thought I was despicable." He smirked.

Sakura lifted her head and looked at him. "Just sometimes." She whispered, and pressed her lips to his.

Soft, warm flesh gently moved across his mouth. His eyes fluttered closed as he willingly returned her kiss with a little too much vigour. In turn, she tilted backwards and the two tumbled onto the bed, his hands on her waist. She ran her fingers along his chest, feeling his heart pulse gently beneath them.

His lips left hers to brush lightly across her jaw line and down to her neck. Sasuke buried his head at the junction of her neck and shoulder and listened to her erratic heartbeat. A soft sigh escaped his lips. He only wished that he would always have this effect on her no matter what happens.

Sakura placed her hands atop his head and held him there, her hands providing a sort of protection for him. The silence was comforting. At times like these, she felt that Sasuke would essentially feed her pieces of information regarding himself and that he allowed her to understand him.

This time around, he was worried about something, but he wasn't letting anything on to her. With Sasuke literally on top of her, she noticed that he had lost a little weight. Dark shadows were under his eyes, yet, he had been supposedly getting more sleep than usual. His reflexes also seemed a bit too clumsy for him. Normally, he would tolerate no mistakes and would never execute them. For her, it was normal, but for him to mess up was just…surreal.

She knew that tonight was going to be a bit busier than other nights.

* * *

"Hey, Naruto, Hinata! Sorry we're late. We got caught up in something." Sakura apologized and hugged her.

"It's fi–" Hinata started.

"Where the hell were you guys? You were supposed to be here a half hour ago, dattebayo! I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing!" Naruto pouted.

"Dobe. Hyuuga should have explained everything to you last night." Sasuke scowled.

"Sasuke! Don't be so rude, please." Sakura scolded.

"Hn."

"Blehhhh! You got scolded by Sakura-chan, dattebayo!"

Sasuke retorted by punching him on the top of his head.

"No fair! I'm the groom today!"

"As the groom you are obnoxiously dull."

"Hinata, this is our wedding present. We hope you like it." Sakura smiled at Hinata and handed her a present wrapped in light green paper with a dark green bow. Sasuke wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Thank you, Sakura, Sasuke-san." Hinata smiled. "You look dashing tonight."

"What about me, Hinata-chan?" Naruto bounded into the conversation.

"Yes, yes, Naruto-kun, you too."

"Sasuke-kun, please go tell Naruto what he needs to do tonight." Sakura whispered to him.

He looked at her and reluctantly pulled away, his fingers lingering at her waist. "Come here, dobe. I'll explain."

After the two men were out of earshot, Sakura led Hinata to her chair in front of her bureau and started preparing her things. "How far along are you, Hinata?"

"I believe it has been two and a half months." She quietly confessed.

"How did you find out that you were pregnant?"

"I didn't. Otou-sama did. He wasn't mad or anything, he was j-just surprised Naruto-kun didn't notice at all or even brought up the topic of m-marriage." Hinata stuttered.

Sakura sighed. "He's always like that. Didn't you notice anything from your cases of morning sickness?"

She started applying a light blush to Hinata's pale face.

"I didn't really have them…"

"Come by and have a check-up at the hospital after your honeymoon. If Hiashi-sama has not said anything about it, then your baby should be fine. Just remember to not drink any alcohol tonight." She warmly smiled at her.

"Okay. You will be staying for the whole night, right?"

"I think I'll be leaving sometime around twelve. Everyone should be drunk by then, including Naruto. Even though it is your wedding, you shouldn't stay up so late. Your health is the baby's health. Besides–" Sakura dropped her voice to a low whisper. "–Sasuke-kun seems to be really tired lately and I don't want to make him stay out too late. I'm sorry, Hinata."

"Oh! No, no. Please don't say that, Sakura. I am already very happy you can make it today. It was a rather hurriedly planned wedding, so I feared that many would not have been able to come…"

She laughed. "Are you kidding me, Hinata? Everyone absolutely adores Naruto! No one would miss his wedding for the life of day!"

"I-I know, that's why I invited the w-whole village." Hinata stammered.

Sakura stopped laughing. "The whole village?"

"Well, only the ones who could come, right? Half of them can't come, so really, it's only half the town."

"Gotta hand it to you, Hinata. You host the best parties. No one's ever left out. Now, shall we fit you into the wedding kimono?"

Sakura busied herself with slipping the formal dress out of its bagging while Hinata got up from her chair. She suddenly tipped to the side and before Sakura could even act, Naruto came out of nowhere and caught his soon-to-be wife.

"Oi, Hinata-chan. Sit down. Don't overexert yourself." Naruto said, for once, serious.

Sakura almost swelled with pride for her best friend, until he turned to look at Sasuke.

"Teme! Was that good or what?"

They left an unconscious Naruto on the floor and helped Hinata slip into her wedding garment.

* * *

Their hands were linked together as they strolled around in the huge garden. People were happily conversing with one another at their designated tables. Each table was lit with a single lamp that threw everything into soft shadows. Everything was of pure white, and the chairs were covered with the softest fabric.

The lanterns did not obscure too much of the night above them. The sky was clear and an explosion of stars lit up the dark night. Every so often, unsuspecting to every pair of eyes, a shooting star would silently streak across the sky and disappear just as fast as it appeared. Yellow orange pinpricks of light drifted around the grounds, fluttering here and there. Even the fireflies wanted to celebrate on this joyous night.

Sakura lightly rested her head on Sasuke's shoulder as they walked. They still had a little time before the bride and the groom were due to come out. The mood was tranquil, and she felt safe, being able to leisurely walk with him, he supporting her from behind. His solid chest proved to be a great comfort to her. She felt protected, safe…and, happy.

Her eyes fluttered closed just for a second. The warmth that radiated off of him was pulling her under. She never thought that it was possible to fall asleep while walking.

"Tired?" His voice reverberated into her ears.

He let go of her hand and pulled her into a back hug, his arms encircling her waist. She placed her hands over his and leaned into him.

"No, not really." She whispered and closed her eyes.

A chaste kiss grazed her cheek and she turned her head slightly to meet his lips. They touched, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as they broke apart.

"Hn." He smirked.

"Stop smirking, pompous jerk." She half-heartedly reprimanded him.

Sasuke responded by placing a kiss on her ear and released her, her hand in his. She almost stumbled at the sudden move only for him to catch her.

"Don't fall asleep. It's almost time." For once, her lover can actually say something decent.

"Alright, alright. I'm up." She jokingly pouted.

Sasuke led her out of the darker shadows of the garden and into the lighter parts. He grasped her hand lightly; her skin was much too soft to be that of a kunoichi.

"Let's head back to our table, ne?" She smiled at him.

If he were a normal man, he would have paused in his steps from the smile. But, he wasn't. He was Uchiha Sasuke. And that was also another reason why he had Sakura as his woman.

"Hn."

They continued walking until she stopped. He wondered why she stopped until he turned to look at what her eyes were on.

Damn it.

"Kakashi-sensei, Gaara! When did you guys get here?" Sakura warmly waved at her approaching friend and mentor.

"Hello Sakura, Sasuke. We arrived just a few nights ago." Kakashi pleasantly greeted them in return.

"How come you didn't tell us that you were coming home?"

"There wasn't enough time, what with Naruto's spontaneous preparations for his wedding." He smiled.

"How've you been for the past months? You seem a little tanner." She tried to make casual and light conversation.

"I've put him out on missions mostly during the day." Gaara's quiet voice spookily glided out from his silent form.

"Oh."

"You, Sasuke? I take it you're well?" His ex-teacher turned his attention to him.

"Fine."

"I see."

"Will you be sta–" She started.

"Sakura-san, Hinata is in pain. Please, come check on her now!" Neji suddenly appeared and looked ethereally handsome in his hakama, but also quite stressed.

Why, oh _why_, must something interrupt her while she tried to make conversation with Kakashi? Poor ex-sensei and her frazzled nerves.

"Where is she, the back? Sorry to cut it short, guys, I'll talk to you soon." Sakura rushed off in the direction of the preparation room, leaving the redhead, grey-head, and two dark heads alone.

Neji spoke up once more. "Sasuke, as Naruto's best man, I'd assume you have to be back there quite soon; it'd be wise to follow."

"Hn." Without another look, he swiftly followed his fiancée, padding silently across the darkened grounds that soon swallowed him.

* * *

"Hinata, breathe. It'll be okay." Sakura rushed to the bride's side, feeling the paler woman's wrist.

"Oooh, Sakura-chan..." Naruto nervously fidgeted by his future wife's other side.

"S-Sakura, i-is there s-something wrong?" Hinata gasped, a hand yanking the fabric at her abdomen.

"No, nothing's wrong. Here, stop, or else you'll rip the fabric." She gently jerked the white lace from her fists and placed her hands atop her thighs. "You're just nervous, Hinata. The baby's fine, you're fine, just breathe deeply."

"O-Okay."

A few minutes later, Naruto was abruptly shoved out of the room by a flustered Maid of Honour, the door nearly catching the blond's hair.

"Oi, watch it, dattebayo! I don't want to go bald at the age of 23!" The groom yelled out.

"You'll lose a lot more when your baby's born." Sakura laughed, her voice decreasing in volume as she walked to the other side. "Hurry to the altar outside, Naruto. Sasuke should be right behind you waiting to get you out there."

The blond mechanically swung around, almost colliding with the shoulder of a man dressed in navy blue.

"Oi, teme! When'd you get here, dattebayo?"

"I was behind you all along, dobe. Let's go." Sasuke pulled Naruto down the hall by the scruff of his neck, confusion still written across his handsome whiskered face.

Sakura leaned against the door, nodding in approval at the disappearing footsteps. "Come on, Hinata. Let's get the rest of your things on."

* * *

"KANPAI!" A unison chorus exploded into the cheery dark night.

"Who knew you would have gotten married so soon, Naruto!" Kiba grabbed him into a headlock, the other hand swishing a glass of beer around, droplets of the substance splattering the blond hair.

"Hey, watch it, Kiba!" Naruto's muffled voice rang out. "I don't want to smell like alcohol!"

"Yo, did you guys hear that? The groom doesn't want to be inebriated at his own wedding!" Kiba barked out.

"I'm supposed to be responsible! I don't want to do more dumb things to Hinata if I get drunk!" He scowled.

The table immediately quieted at Naruto's words, surprised that he would be able to say such embarrassing yet caring words simultaneously. Every pair of eyes regarded him with light amusement, all of them truly realizing that Naruto indeed had grown up within the past years. It was true that the news of Naruto being Namikaze Minato's son was shocking, but the suggestion of Naruto being instated as the sixth Hokage did not take anyone by surprise.

"Hn." The corners of Sasuke's lips turned upwards so slightly that even Sakura could barely catch it.

The pinkette giggled at the cherished blond's honest reaction.

"Nan desu ka? Why is Teme and Sakura-chan laughing at me?" His handsome whiskered face was scrunched cutely into a pout.

"Oh, Naruto. It's just that...when you said something so sensible, it just really took us by surprise is all." She smiled at her ex-teammate, her heart swelling with pride for her loyal friend.

"You never were the brightest of the rest, Naruto. It is...somewhat of a shock to be able to hear you speak such coherent words." Shino piped up, his face half-hidden by the habitual high collar of his hakama.

"Not you too, Shino?"

"I only speak what I believe is the truth." A slender digit propped his sunglasses higher onto his nose.

"Well, the truth is that I believe it's weird for you to be wearing sunglasses so late at night!" Naruto childishly retorted and stood up.

"Maybe he is only acting out his maturity." Kakashi chuckled.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The table's raucous laughter rang out into the night sky, the twinkling stars above them seemingly celebratory with the group of shinobi below.

* * *

The pain increased as the ceremony went on, even the already dim light seeming much too bright for him.

_It proved difficult to keep his eyes open instead of having them closed as he stood slightly below the altar with the maid of honour and the bridesmaids. If it were not for the blond's mistake, he would be at home sleeping in the comfort of his fiancée's arms and hoping that the pain would subside by the early morning._

"_I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The hired monk gestured towards Hinata._

_As Naruto unveiled the blushing lavender-eyed girl, a sharp pain made him grimace in pain, his grasp on Sakura's hand tightening to an almost painful grip to prevent himself from jerking a hand up to his eyes._

_The pinkette looked up to him with slightly wet eyes from what he could only assume was initiated from the dobe's wedding. "Sasuke-kun...?" She murmured into his ear._

"_It's nothing." He tersely replied and quickly blinked a few times to try to rid himself of the now throbbing ache situated in his temples._

"_Oh, okay." But Sasuke knew that she didn't buy that; the worry and suspicion in her eyes could be seen by no one but him._

And now they sat at the table waiting for everyone to get drunk before they themselves headed home.

It won't be very long until they could go home from what he could see. Hinata was busy taking care of a heavily tipsy husband while Sakura tried to reassure a drunken Ino that Shikamaru would not leave her for that so-called other dirty blonde bitch who sat only a few seats away from her. Kiba was already passed out in his chair, his body somewhat sprawled across the surface of the table whereas the lower half was slipping out of his seat. Shino was already gone with the rest of his family, having disappeared shortly after the first rounds of liquor. Gaara remained stoic at the situation, whereas Temari glowered at Ino's behaviour. Hiashi appeared to be less than pleased and seemed ready to call off the party if not for the respect he had for his older daughter's friends.

"Hehe...Hina-chan!" Naruto slurred. "Let's bang again when we get home, dattebayoooo!"

"N-Naruto-kun. Come on, we should get you to bed so you can rest." Hinata blushed at her new husband's suggestion, a small and timid smile brushing her pale features.

"The wedding's over then, Hinata-chan?" Sakura whispered into the purple-haired woman's ear.

"Y-Yes. I believe so. It would not be healthy for me to stay up late also." She sighed.

"Okay." The pinkette smiled at her friend. "Take care, and Sasuke and I will take our leave. I'm sorry we're leaving you with the rest of these drunken folk." She gestured towards the people sprawled in spontaneous heaps around them. "I would help, except it seems that something's been wrong with Sasuke lately."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not quite sure myself, but I have a slight hunch." The medic frowned.

"Oh, dear."

"I'll see you when you and Naruto get settled down, alright? Goodnight, Hinata-chan." Sakura turned to Sasuke and smiled. "Let's go, Sasuke-kun."

"So soon? Do you not want to stay a little while longer?" He raised a delicate eyebrow at her.

Her heart fluttered even after so long. "No, it's fine. I'm a little tired tonight." She reached for his hand beneath the folds of his hakama.

The raven took it willingly and pulled her to her feet, his warmth spreading into her lightly chilled hand. "We're leaving, minna-san. Thank you for tonight." Sakura smiled and waved to all the inebriated and the conscious ones, glad that the boisterous Ino had fallen asleep in Shikamaru's arms as to not bother the rest of the party. She made sure to clearly wave to Kakashi to assert him that she was not going to ignore him.

"Thank you for coming, Sakura-chan. It means a lot to me." Hinata shyly smiled at her from her chair, trying to keep a restless Naruto suppressed.

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything." She warmly said and smiled before walking over to Naruto. "Now, you be good, mister responsible. Don't do anything stupid."

"Sakura-chan! Hinata's pregnant, did you know that?"

The two women's eyes met before they burst into a fit of giggles. "Take care."

Sasuke gently led Sakura out from the Hyuuga's backyard, leisurely strolling towards the direction of the Uchiha Compounds. The moon was illuminated even more brightly than in the dim garden, casting a pale pathway along the road as to guide their way home. Their linked hands swayed playfully between them, the action caused by Sakura's restless self.

"I'm happy, Sasuke." She softly said.

"I know." His smooth tenor washed over comfortingly.

"I believe everyone should have a happy ending." Sakura continued.

"Hn."

They were at the Uchiha Compounds by this point, their front door looming closer with every step.

Sasuke stopped at the gate at the front of their house, and pulled her into an embrace, his black-blue locks nonchalantly tickling the pinkette's forehead.

"What do you want for your happy ending then?" He quietly asked, a touch of humour in his voice.

"Well..." Sakura lightly fingered his hakama as she relaxed into his embrace. "I want to see us together...with kids...and grandchildren...and the Uchiha Compounds frivolous again one day."

His hold on her suddenly tightened unbearably, and Sakura found herself having difficulty breathing as she tried to pull herself away from Sasuke. A small wet drop fell on her cheek, her hand instinctively reaching up to brush it away. A streak of red highlighted by the moonlight alarmed her and she jerked her head up in worry.

"Sasuke?" Her eyes were wide with fright. "Sasuke, what's wrong?"

"It's...nothing..." He hissed.

Blood simultaneously trickled from his eyes, droplets of it staining her kimono and his hakama.

_Calm down, Sakura. Calm down! _"Come on, let's get you inside." She calmly said and quickly ushered him into the house, making sure he wouldn't trip on the step up in the front foyer to the hardwood of the house.

She led him to a chair and sat him down as she flicked on the lights. Warm yellow flooded the room, but it seemed as though Sasuke took no notice.

"Sasuke, pull your hands away please." Sakura gently whispered. She coaxed his hands away from his face with her own, shocked at the smears of blood surrounding his eyes.

"Try to open your eyes."

He did as he was told, but he only continued to stare at her.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"What do you see?"

"The room's black." His voice was tight.

Sakura bit back a gasp, her eyes welling with tears at the realization. Everything clicked together now, his fumbles, his unusual careless errors, his unwillingness to read Naruto's letter, and the blood on the hardwood.

"Sakura."

"Y-Yes, Sasuke?" She forced her voice to steady, but it wouldn't heed her demand.

"I'm blind, aren't I." He bluntly stated.

The pinkette could only stand there, finally letting her tears drip noisily in the quiet room onto the floorboards.

* * *

So, there you have it guys! The truth that I've built up for two chapters if finally here! I hate leaving the story at this "cliffie" for another half a year, but it'll be worth it, I promise! Please review!

P.S. **VELVET, Just One Night,** and **With Just One Touch** are now **all on HIATUS**. Sorry!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

- **Kanryu** out _11:51pm 24/12/2010_


	4. Chapter 4

**Important Author's Note - Please read:**

Hey everyone! It's been a long time since we've met, hasn't it? Good news is that...well, **VELVET** is now officially **off hiatus as is Just One Night**. I've finished _**A Pretty Still Doll**_, so now I have time to work on this story, Just One Night, and **Enervis**, a new and sweet/dark story (Can I even have a story with these two specific traits...?).

I apologize for having this story on hiatus as well as my others, but I really didn't have the time or the ideas in my head to continue them until now. Now that VELVET has been updated, expect an update for Just One Night very soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and nor do I own the copyrights of the song, VELVET by Alice Nine., but this story really has nothing to do with the song, so maybe I'll just stop with the disclaimer for the song. The title is theirs, but the plot is mine. :D

Please enjoy reading and then review! ;)

* * *

**Chapter 4 - _VELVET_****  
**

_- Konohagakure_

Lone teardrops blemished her pale complexion and dripped into the tiny pond below, creating ripples in the once calm waters. Her body hitched up and down as she tried to stifle her sobs with her hand. The soft rays and the presence of the moon seemed much too cruel at this moment. A yellow-white orb that looked down on them, its warm light forever casting over everything.

Sakura looked at it with blurry eyes, her pink hair brushing the nape of her neck. The midnight blue sky twinkled with numerous stars, mocking her, telling her that they will always be there but out of her reach. No matter what happens, they will forever be there in that same arrangement for years to come.

The moon will keep glowing until the end of time. How unfair this is. How is it fair that after so many things they've been through, that this must happen to him? Why did this have to happen?

Sasuke can no longer see anything, not even the tiniest of light. Those piercing black orbs he has can no longer see anything. They'll look at her, but not _see_ her. His eyes, for a time his best asset had become his worst, his handicap. Ironic.

The small smiles that used to grace his face have now turned to mere lines. Anger and frustration could only be felt and seen from him. He refused to step away from the house or leave their room. He would only stay in their bed, only getting off to go to the bathroom and eat the food that she so carefully brings to him. He wouldn't eat while she was in the room; he would only eat when she left, and he did not eat very much. Food was always left on his plate. She was told to leave him alone from Sasuke himself, but she just couldn't do it. Not when he's like this.

Sasuke's skin was still pale and flawless, but his not eating enough has affected him. His cheeks have become slightly hollow, looking much thinner than before. Beneath his eyes were huge shadows, making his face look gaunt and unhealthy. His blue-black spikes were not tended to and even they seemed to have lost their once prideful aura.

No one was permitted to see him, not even Naruto. Her presence alone was only merely accepted. If she did not leave after she left his food, he would push her out and lock the door behind him. She had long ceased crying in front of him, because that would only bring a look of anger and annoyance across his once statuesque face.

Tsunade was brought in two weeks after his eyesight had finally failed him. It took Sakura the first week to coerce him to let herself look at him, but to no avail. It took her another week to allow Sasuke further treatment from her medic mentor, but also nothing resulted from this. When Tsunade had told him that there was nothing she could do, all he did was close his eyes and harshly said in a cold tone to leave him alone. Tsunade left, unhappy, upset about the fact Sakura was taking it harsher than Sasuke himself was.

She was told to have some rest and leave him alone for now. _How_ could she bear to leave him alone let alone rest?

Kakashi had come in and looked at both of them later on, also discontent about the situation on hands. His Mangekyou Sharingan had almost fully deteriorated as well, and he, too, was succumbing to the blindness that Sasuke was enveloped in. However, he still had his good right eye to see the world with. When Kakashi tried to console him, Sasuke told him he knew nothing, because he did not know what true blindness was. He couldn't understand the feeling of opening both your eyes but only being met with eternal darkness instead of at least some sort of light.

Sakura had run out of the room at such a sight and out of the compounds, only to collide with Naruto at the gate. Her best friend looked at her sadly and gave her a much needed hug. What else could he do? The vibrant pink-haired teammate he had always loved was in distress. She wasn't his damsel in distress anymore but a sister to him. Just from the shock of Sasuke's newfound darkness, his change in behaviour, and the neglect itself had changed her significantly.

Sakura's usual bright green orbs had dulled, barely containing any sparkle in them anymore. Her pink hair was still swept up and clasped to the back of her head with a clip, but wisps of hair framed her much thinned face and only emphasized how much paler she looked than before this had happened. Her once perfectly fitted clothes hung somewhat loose on her, making her seem smaller than ever. She still had her curves, but the apparent weight loss was noticeable.

Naruto wondered how long it would take for Sasuke to accept his loss of sight, if ever, and if Sakura would ever be happy with him like this. He had once told Sakura to take a vacation, but she had gasped and asked why he would have thought of such a thing. Her excuse was that Sasuke needed her and he refused to admit it. Naruto's argument was if he needed her that badly, then he wouldn't have shoved her away. She could only shake her head at him as tears leaked out of her already swollen eyes.

It's been a month after he's gone blind.

_**X-i-o-n**_

"Sasuke, I prepared some food for you." Sakura lightly said as she entered their – his – room. She hasn't slept there for well over a month.

His room was dark and the curtains were drawn as to not reveal any light. A few plates on a tray were left beside the door and they were half full. Crying inwardly, she placed a new tray of food on his bedside table and looked at the figure hidden under the sheets on the bed. Tufts of blue-black hair were visible underneath the blankets. Sitting down on the bed, she gently placed a hand on his covered shoulder and spoke in a soft voice.

"Sasuke, I need to change the sheets for you, do you mind getting up for a second, please?"

The rustling of the sheets could be heard and Sasuke poked his head out. "There's no need, you only changed them two days ago. Leave now." He ordered. His eyes were closed.

Sakura replied with a quiet, "Okay," and sat there for a second, busying herself with the tray of food. "Your food's here, Sasuke, so if you're hungry, all you need to do is ––"

"I know what to do, leave." He harshly said a second time.

She looked at him for a few seconds and bent over his bent form and kissed him lightly on the lips before she got up from the bed and shut the door behind her.

As soon as her footsteps faded, Sasuke bit his lip. After how he's treated her, she still doesn't want to leave? What must it take for him to hurt her enough to make her leave? He had already tried breaking the dishes she had brought the food up in but she only returned with more. His hand reached out for the tray on the bedside table and his fingers grazed a sandwich, a bottle of juice and a small bowl of cherry tomatoes. Things easy enough for him to eat.

He bit his lip and flipped to the other side, away from the food and the door. The sweet taste of her lingered on his lips, and he cursed himself for not having foreseen this haunting condition. He wouldn't hurt her if he could help it. If he knew he was becoming blind, then he never would have sought her help in the first place and broke her and Kakashi apart. Maybe it was because he did just that, that now he is getting his so-called just rewards.

She deserves a much worthier man than he; someone who has all his functions working correctly, not a blind man who is literally lost without his sight. Sasuke doesn't want her to waste her life away by taking care of him forever until he or she dies. She has so many things to do in life, so many things to live for, not take care of a man who is distraught over his being blind. Just thinking about this for the past month has tired him out.

More sleep is in order.

_**X-i-o-n**_

"Sakura, I know this is difficult for you, but please try to understand that it is better for you to leave than be by his side right now." Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Sasuke refuses to accept any physiotherapy or rehabilitation treatments, and even that is the most we can do for him. All of us can see that he's given up on himself, and do you think he wants you to see him at his worst? With you around, that might be the reason why he's not willing to accept his blindness; you're simply helping him too much."

"I've never seen him this lost before, not even at the Valley of the End when we fought. It's not that you can't accept him being blind; it's himself that he can't get over. He doesn't think he's worthy of you when he is in such a dismal state." Naruto joined in, his eyes tired and sad. "Even if you say it's all right for him to being a handicap, and that you'll love him just as he is, that isn't something he wants to hear. He thinks you're taking pity on him."

"Which you are, if the reason you are staying by his side is because he is blind." Kakashi's soft-spoken voice was strong in the tiny room as he casually leaned against the wall opposite of Naruto and her, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

They looked at her sadly, their gazes sympathetic, all of them hoping that she would at least heed their words.

"Maybe we just haven't found a cure for it yet, Tsunade-sama. T-There's got to be something in the medical books to inform us of a treatment for Sasuke's ailment. There's no medical condition that you and I haven't been able to solve yet, Shishou." Sakura pleadingly looked at the older woman and then at the other two, her expression falling as they avoided eye contact.

The room was silent at the pinkette's plea, all of them having difficulty facing the situation just as she was. Tsunade clasped her hands together on her desk, the top clear of any sake for the first time. She closed her brown eyes for a minute, contemplating on what more could be said to push her former apprentice to following their advice. It wasn't that she didn't want to help Sasuke, but it was just that he _couldn't_ be helped any more. It was too late. The nerves have been damaged too extensively, and the retina had been completely scarred. Even after a surgery to fix it, he'd be too blind from cataracts, making no difference in whether he was to undergo surgery or not.

"We can't repair the central nerves, Sakura. You know that better than I do, and we also know that his eyes are part of the central nervous system. Even if we take out his eyes and put in a donor's, the nerves won't repair themselves and reattach to the eyes and miraculously make him be able to see again!" Tsunade slammed her hands onto the desk and stood, a stack of papers on the desk wobbling dangerously before spilling onto the green tiled floor. "You're not the only one who wants to save him, Sakura, we all do! You're being selfish here, worrying us with your health and your mental stability!"

"Baa-chan, that's enough." Naruto stepped forward and wrapped a comforting arm around Sakura's trembling shoulders.

"_I will tell you when I've said enough, Naruto! _You will _not_ interrupt me when I am speaking even if you are going to be inaugurated as the Sixth Hokage very soon! If no one tells this foolish apprentice of mine that there's no cure, she will continue to destroy herself with grief!"

"_Because I think that this is all my fault, Shishou! _If I had started even the smallest of treatments, then nothing like this would've happened!" Sakura cried out as she sank to the floor, her hands clutched tightly into fists on her thighs, her tears staining her clothes with dark splotches.

Naruto knelt beside her, his arm still around her shoulders in a one-arm hug. He looked pained at her outburst. "Sakura-chan…"

"He's been back for almost a year, and I didn't even decide to give him a check up at all! I could've assumed that from him using _Amaterasu_ that it would've damaged his eyes. _But I didn't even bother, because I was so happy that he returned home to care about anything else!_" She continued to cry, the top of her shorts damp with her tears. "_I'm a fucking poor excuse to be a medic!_"

"It's not a sin to be happy, Sakura." Kakashi cut in as he got off from the wall to walk towards her and Naruto. "We make mistakes all the time, and one mistake is no reason to kill yourself over it."

"This one mistake cost Sasuke his eyesight, and it should've been found out earlier to avoid this!"

"As your Sensei, I've made many more mistakes that have cost the lives of numerous shinobi. It weighs me down to this very day, but because of that, I've learned to be more cautious and aware of how my actions will affect others." He commented. "You're still young, Sakura. You have years to make up for what you've done and are doing, but Sasuke's blindness is not your fault. Having lost his sight is Sasuke's atonement for the things he's done even if it is involuntary on his behalf."

"The amount of tears you are shedding, and the way you are crying, is more fitting in honour of the deceased, Sakura, so please do not cry like that." Tsunade once again spoke and turned to look out the window of the office and placed a hand on the window, her back facing the other three. The sky was a moody grey colour. "You are crying for the living and not for the dead; when you spill tears so easily and so often, there is no real meaning for tears when time does call for it. Even if Sasuke can no longer see, he is still a person worthy of being a shinobi."

"If he can see his own worth that is." Naruto muttered.

"That will all depend on his own judgment of what a person worthy of being a shinobi is, and his own resolve. No one can help him with that but himself." The older woman snapped. "That is all I have to say, Sakura, and if you intend to continue doing what you are to yourself, I will not hesitate to send you to Suna for an unknown period of time."

"Shishou!" The pinkette threw the blond off of her and straightened, slamming her hands into the desk, her watery green eyes wide as she stared at Tsunade.

"Sakura! You can't even think straight right now because of your emotions! Do you think I want to send you away?" Tsunade turned and glared at her former apprentice, her brow creased in frustration. Then her voice softened. "You're just like a daughter to me, and seeing you like this is hurting me – us. Sending you away is a last resort, and no one wants you to leave the village. We don't want you to suffer, please try to understand that."

"We know you love him, Sakura-chan. We love you, too. That's why we're doing everything we can to help the two of you." Naruto spoke up and turned to leave the room, the doorknob tight in his hand. "I need to head home, Sakura-chan. I told Hinata I'll be home early today; we'll come visit you later tonight."

She didn't respond and continued to cry as she sunk to the floor, her legs giving out once more. It disheartened him to see his past love and best friend in such pain. Sakura didn't deserve to be suffering, and neither did Sasuke. This grief and newfound discovery of Sasuke's blindness was tearing them apart – all of them, not just Sakura and Sasuke. He was helpless in the matters of Sasuke's being unable to see, and powerless to cheer up the two of his friends. Why is it that even though he's a hero to this village that he is a failure as a friend?

He stepped out into the streets from the Hokage building, the dirt ground suddenly darkened by a few splashes of water. A flash of lightning spread out across the entire sky, the rain preceding the thunder as it hammered noisily onto the deserted streets. The blond suddenly jumped onto the roof of one building and hazardously started his way home, uncaring if he was a target for the streaks of lightning flashing unrelentingly in the early evening.

_**X-i-o-n**_

Sasuke rolled around restlessly in his sheets, the thunder making it difficult for him to even try to fall asleep. It angered and surprised him how much he had relied on his eyes when he was still able to see with them. Every resounding boom of thunder made him uneasy, made him…insecure. What if someone was suppressing their chakra so well that he couldn't even sense it, and then assassinate him while he was helplessly writhing in his own bed wallowing in self-pity at his inability to see? It wouldn't be a surprise that someone would want to kill him after all that had happened in the past few years.

Another rumble of thunder that seemed to crack right above his bedroom made him straighten in frustration. He tore the sheets away from his lower half and threw them against the wall opposite of him. It hit the wall with a dull _fwp_ before flapping to land on the bedroom floor…or what he presumed to be the floor. The tinkling of a spoon in an empty bowl notified him that he had either knocked over a tray into the blanket or it had brushed very close to it. His brow knotted in annoyance at how he wasn't able to determine if it was the former or the latter option, or if it was another outcome that he had not thought of.

A quick burst of chakra made him turn his head towards the direction of the bedroom door. He recognized the chakra, but before he could utter so much as a word, the door was thrown open with so much force that Sasuke thought the hinges must've unhinged from the wall itself. The next thing he knew, he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt with two shaking fists and thrust into the dresser beside the bed with the handles digging into his lower back.

"What the—" He spat out, his hands instinctively reaching up to grip the hands choking him. "Naruto, _let go._"

His best friend did indeed let go, but Sasuke felt his jaw almost dislocate at the punch the blond threw him. If not for Naruto keeping one hand on his shirt, he would've flown through the walls of his home and most likely into the tree outside in the garden. The raven shook his head to try to clear it and immediately got another punch to the face by the same person.

"_Stop_." He seethed, and sensed the blond's fist coming his way again, his hand quickly coming up to stop it from completely knocking him out. "_Knocking me out isn't going to solve any fucking problems._"

Again, the other hand joined the first to keep holding him to the dresser. He could swear there was going to be internal bleeding if Naruto didn't move him from the God damned handles any time soon. He swung his leg upwards to try to free himself, and was rewarded with a grunt as his knee collided with something solid, and the hands restricting his airway dropped him down onto the floor.

"I'm blind, and now you want to kill me?" Sasuke coughed out after ungracefully falling to the floor. He brushed a hand over his left cheek and inwardly flinched at the instant pain.

"Killing you would probably be better off for all of us, Teme." Naruto growled, standing in front of the fallen man.

"Oh? Then why don't you stop talking and kill me like everyone else wants to!" He shouted at him. "Don't spout your friends shit nonsense at me now, Naruto!"

A foot connected with his ribs, ramming him into the bedside table, his forehead brutally hitting the corner of the stand, blood trickling into his shirt. He crawled onto all fours, coughing, before standing up again, only to be pinned to the bed with shaking hands.

"You think I don't want to, Sasuke? _You think I don't fucking want to?_ If killing you meant closure for Sakura-chan, then I would gladly do so!" Naruto yelled, the water from his clothes dripping onto the blind man struggling beneath him. "It's all because of _you_ that she's a _fucking wreck_!"

Sasuke snapped, his blindness still being a touchy subject to him as he thinks of it as a handicap; a brutal handicap that made him incapable of staying with the mentioned pinkette. He punched Naruto square in the face and into the dresser, the splintering wood a satisfaction to the raging demon in Sasuke's chest. He stood on the bed and angled his head down towards the mess. "You think I _want_ to be blind? Have you ever thought of waking up one day, not being able to see when your eyes have been your best asset for your entire life? _I'm a fucking cripple!_"

Naruto stood up from the remnants of the drawer and wiped the trickle of blood from his mouth with a dirty sleeve. "And Sakura-chan still loves you even though you think that, Sasuke! She loves you for who you are inside; _she's not going to stop loving you because you're blind, Teme_!"

"I know _she_ doesn't care, but _I do_, Naruto! I can't give her what she deserves when I can't fucking _see_ anything! I don't want to be taken care of in everything I do for my entire life!"

"But she's willing to do it! You can stand up again, Sasuke! You just need—"

"Right." The raven sarcastically laughed. "I couldn't even protect myself from you when your chakra should've been so easy to sense. I feel insecure all the time, not knowing if there will be people coming to assassinate me in my sleep. How can I be who she loves if I'm not even myself." He bitterly finished.

"You just need training, Sasuke!" Naruto flung his arm out in emphasis, droplets of water flying into his friend's face. "You can't give up hope—"

"No, Naruto. This is my redemption for all the wrong things I've done, can't you see? All the things I've done, all the people I've killed, those are the reasons why I'm blind." Sasuke calmly said, the anger from earlier seemingly gone. "Tsunade and Sakura have already said there is no cure for my eyes. There's no reason to keep looking for one anymore if the two best medics in the world say there's no hope."

"Then can't you accept it, Sasuke? Accept it and step forward! I know it's not as easy as it sounds, but if you get accustomed to it over time, things will work out!" Naruto pleaded.

"Nothing has ever worked out for the Uchiha line, Naruto. This time will be no different." He turned and slowly crept off the bed, making sure he wouldn't clumsily slip off. He stretched his arms out in front of him as he walked, his fingertips brushing the bedroom door frame, his feet slowly inching to step out of the chaotic room.

"_You can't do this to Sakura-chan, Teme! You can't do this!_" Naruto yelled after his retreating back, slamming his fist into the debris of the drawer as Sasuke did not bother turning back to look at him or stop in his tracks. "_Kuso!_" Tears fell onto the carpet and intermingled with the blood on his hands from the wood imbedded into the bottom of his hand.

.

He sat on the edge of the bathtub with his head in his hands, the light turned off, the door locked. A few tears slipped past his fingers and onto his bare feet, the hot liquid seeming defiant on telling him that this was no nightmare but indeed reality. The current reality was something he could never get out of, and he would prefer to be stuck in his late brother's Tsukiyomi than being blind.

What he had told Naruto was the truth; there was no future for a blind man and a capable young woman. She could do so much better and have so much more with another. Being together with her would cause her grief as time passed by; each day would bring her more tangible sadness, and then it would lead to bitterness. He didn't want her to have to take care of him until he died or she died. He wanted her to live her life to the fullest and not trap her within the confines of his own selfishness by wanting her by his side.

He stood and took three steps forward, knowing that he was in front of the big bathroom mirror. It cracked and fell around him as he punched it, blood flowing from his scraped knuckles and onto the countertop. He stepped back into the wall and slid down until he was sitting with his knees apart, his head hanging between them, his arms propped up on his knees.

Death seemed welcoming if it meant ridding him from all the pain and guilt.

* * *

So, what do you guys think about Sasuke's spiralling-into-darkness blindness? Please review. :)

- _**Kanryu **_ _8:18pm 04/06/11_

**P.S. **Please check out** _A Pretty Still Doll_ **and** _Enervis_ **while you wait for my updates! It'll make time pass by faster ;)


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